Navigating mixed embeddedness : a theoretical framework for understanding foreign startup owners in Japan

Immigrant entrepreneurs have long been a driving force behind innovation, particularly in high-skilled sectors such as technology. This paper explores the survival of foreign-led tech startups in Japan, a nontraditional destination for immigrant entrepreneurs. Applying the mixed embeddedness framework, which integrates macro, meso, and micro levels of embeddedness, the study presents a theoretical model that explores how institutional factors, social networks, and individual startup resources shape the entrepreneurial opportunities and challenges faced by immigrant tech entrepreneurs in Japan. The proposed theoretical model offers a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the survival of foreign startups in this unique context. By addressing the gap in literature on immigrant entrepreneurship in Japan, this research contributes valuable insights into the dynamics of high-skilled immigrant entrepreneurship. The framework serves as a foundation for future empirical testing, with semi-structured interviews with foreign tech startup owners in Japan as the next step.